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Resident assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a resident assistant. Resident assistants usually study psychology, business, or nursing. 60% of resident assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 81,360 real resident assistant resumes to see exactly what resident assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for resident assistants are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online resident assistant courses to help get the education required to be a resident assistant.
There are certain resident assistant certifications that you should consider. These resident assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a resident assistant?
What degree do you need to be a resident assistant?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Associate, 11%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a resident assistant?
- Psychology, 13%
- Business, 13%
- Nursing, 9%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for resident assistants
| Resident assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.79% |
| New York University | 6.95% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 6.67% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.56% |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 6.25% |
Best majors for resident assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 13.3% |
| 2 | Business | 13.2% |
| 3 | Nursing | 9.3% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.7% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 6.4% |
Best colleges for resident assistants
The best colleges for resident assistants are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Southern California.
A resident assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for resident assistants. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become resident assistants.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for resident assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for resident assistants
The most affordable schools for resident assistants are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for resident assistants are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for resident assistants.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for resident assistants
The hardest universities for resident assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for resident assistants are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for resident assistants based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for resident assistants
The easiest schools for resident assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a resident assistant without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for resident assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average resident assistant salary by education level
| Resident assistant education level | Resident assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $34,686 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,067 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,178 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,228 |
Resident assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025